Airport News

London's Stansted Airport has issued a range of tips to help passengers facilitate their travel plans.

In the build-up to the half term break, when the hub expects around 200,000 holidaymakers to pass through its gates, advice has been offered on speeding up the process of checking in and increasing the efficiency of security checks.

As part of its Check Pack & Go tips, Stansted Airport urged passengers to ensure they are aware of the weight and size limits for both checked-in luggage and bags carried by hand.

Similarly, it recommended saving time by checking in over the internet, where possible.

The facility went on to warn travellers that hand luggage liquids must be packed in a clear, resealable bag.

Stansted Airport also advised passengers to ensure they turn up at least two hours before their flight is due to depart.

The facility recently announced that new flights to Turkey would be launched from its runways, courtesy of AnadoluJet.

A "pioneering" trial into the use of environmentally-friendly fuel technology is scheduled to be unveiled this spring at London's Stansted Airport.

The scheme will launch as part of ITM Power's nationwide initiative, named the Hydrogen On Site Trials programme (HOST), which will see the facility take on two specially modified vehicles to test the new system.

Stansted Airport will be the first UK facility to trial the technology and the scheme is set to begin on March 7th 2011.

Dr Andy Jefferson, head of health, safety and environment at the hub, highlighted the importance of sustainability to the industry, stating it is a "critical" issue, which is taken "extremely seriously".

"We're delighted to be working with ITM Power and launch their ground-breaking Hydrogen On Site Trial project at the airport," he said.

Last year, Stansted Airport had its environmental efforts recognised after it received the Carbon Trust Standard for reducing its carbon emissions.

London's Stansted Airport has announced the launch of a number of new routes and flights.

Cambridge First reports that low-cost carrier bmibaby is set to commence flights from the facility to George Best Belfast City Airport as of March 28th 2011 - making it the only airline to operate the route.

Similarly, Albanian-based company Belle Air has recently begun two flights a week from Stansted Airport to the country.

Managing director of bmibaby Julian Carr expressed his excitement at the launch of the company's first low-cost routes from Stansted Airport.

"This route will be ideal for both business and leisure customers wishing to travel to Belfast at very low fares," he said.

Mr Carr's comments were echoed by Nick Barton, managing director at Stansted Airport, who predicted that the new flights will be "extremely popular with travellers".

Last month, the facility announced the appointment of Mr Barton, who had previously occupied the position on an interim basis following six years employment at the facility.

London's Stansted Airport has donated money to the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust.

Bosses at the facility have once again opted not to send corporate Christmas cards and instead use the money to help a local charity.

Staff at Stansted Airport were consulted and the air ambulance charity, which provides free live-saving services for those in Essex and its surrounding areas, was chosen.

Herts coordinator for the organisation Nikki Caborn expressed her delight at the selection.

"It really was such a nice surprise to receive £1,350," she said. "We would like to thank all Stansted Airport staff for their continued support."

Similar comments were issued by Marcella M'Rabety, who claimed that the charity was a much better use for the funds than Christmas cards.

Established in 1997, the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance service flies specialist doctors and emergency medical equipment to the scene of an incident and quickly ferries casualties to medical facilities.

London's Stansted Airport has received a prestigious award in recognition of its environmental work.

The airport was granted the renowned Carbon Trust Standard after it reduced carbon emissions produced by its vehicles and buildings by almost two per cent from January 2007 until December 2009.

As part of the work, Stansted Airport introduced a range of changes to the way it operates including the installation of biomass technology, trialling single engine taxiing and installing low-energy lighting on its airfield.

Head of health, safety and environment at the airport Dr Andy Jefferson expressed his pride at the award and reiterated the airport's commitment to achieving further carbon reductions.

"We've set a challenging target to reduce 2010 levels by five per cent," he said. "I'm delighted to report we're making fantastic progress and are well on track to achieve this goal."

Last month, Heathrow Airport was also awarded the Carbon Trust Standard after improving its carbon efficiency by almost 12 per cent.

According to statistics compiled by Stansted, the airport serves over 19 million passengers per year and is the UK's third busiest airport.

Ryanair are due to charter new flights to Plovdiv in November, giving travellers the chance to visit the popular Bansko ski region. Similarly, Air Berlin aims to increase its flights to Austrian ski destinations with a range of new services scheduled for a December launch.

Stansted Airport has hosted a conference on how the aviation industry can become greener.

The Airport Operators Association regional conference saw MEPs, business organisations and aviation groups gather with representatives from airports in the east of England to discuss how the region's transport infrastructure is meeting the environmental challenges posed by 21st century travel.

Dr Andy Jefferson, Stansted Airport's head of environment, told the event that Stansted takes its environmental responsibilities seriously and had invested in a wood-chip biomass boiler last year.

"This has already helped us reduce our gas consumption at the airport by over 40 per cent," he said.

"This summer we also published our first Airport Carbon Footprint.

He added that all areas of the airport's operation are being examined in an attempt to reduce the tonnage of carbon dioxide produced by Stansted.

Stansted Airport is the third busiest airport in the UK, serving over 20 million passengers each year.

Visitors to Stansted Airport will get a chance to see a commemorative plaque which celebrates the airport's role in World War II.

Four US war heroes, who were part of the famous 'Band of Brothers'  which was made famous by the Steven Spielberg TV series, were part of the opening of the display on Monday (July 13th).

Welcoming the US heroes to Stansted was its managing director Stewart Wingate, who said: "Stansted is very proud of its long and illustrious past, and the critical role the airfield played during World War II as a US Army Air Force base.

"It's a real honour for us to be joined by so many brave and distinguished service personnel, past and present, both from here in the UK and from the States."

The display, which stands in the check-in area of the main terminal building, features two bronze plaques which mark the military history of Stansted.

Stansted Airport has refuted claims that it has engaged in unfair trading practices.

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) contacted the Office of Fair Trading, claiming that there have been complaints of overpriced bookings from the accommodation desk with airport hotels getting preferential treatment and one taxi firm enjoying an exclusive deal.

Nick Barton of Stansted Airport told the Braintree and Witham Times that the establishment works to benefit local businesses and accused SSE of trying to sabotage the airport and the livelihoods of staff.

"It's now very clear to us the real purpose of SSE is not to oppose expansion but to attack the very existence of Stansted," he said.

Carol Barbone of SSE said local businesses do not believe they are being treated fairly and said that some matters exist that need investigation.

Stansted Airport is currently consulting publicly on the issue of noise, questioning MPs and local authorities on the matter.

Thousands of passengers are expected to travel from Stansted Airport this Easter to one of the 35 destinations that services from this location offers.

Around a quarter of a million people are anticipated to pass through the facility's doors this coming weekend.

Despite the economic downturn, Brits are still keen to get away, explained commercial and development director at the airport Nick Barton.

Numerous travellers will be packing their bags to escape to such destinations as France, Spain, Croatia, Dubai and Malaysia, he continued to note.

Consumers want to "enjoy a cultural city break, take to the piste one last time or relax in the first rays of the summer sun," Mr Barton commented.

He concluded the airport is looking forward to welcoming passengers over the next few days, adding that would-be holidaymakers who have not yet decided where to go can find out flight information on the airport's website.

Anyone who wants to drive to Stansted Airport and use its car parking facilities while they are away on their jolly jaunt can find out how to get their by logging on to its site as well.

Consumers' interests would be a focus under new proposed changes to airports' regulation.

Proposals made by transport secretary Geoff Hoon include having the Civil Aviation Authority promote passengers' needs and requirements and for Passenger Focus also to work for the concerns of people who use air travel.

Mr Hoon also suggested that the largest airports should have to have licences for regulation purposes.

This would apply to the 13 airports that have more than five million passengers on an annual basis.

Noting that the CAA had said that its responsibilities were unclear, Mr Hoon stated: "Today I am removing that lack of clarity - the passenger must come first."

Meanwhile, Stansted Airport has revealed that it is working on a trial for an assisted border control system to make use of such technology as facial recognition and ePassports.

The six-month trial is being carried out in partnership with the United Kingdom Border Agency and BAA.

An airline has announced that it is to boost the services available at London Stansted Airport by offering new long haul flights.

Europe's fourth largest carrier Air Berlin has said it will add nine long haul connections from Dusseldorf via Stansted, including destinations in America and the Caribbean.

Air Berlin country manager for the UK & Ireland Titus Johnson said: "Air Berlin has a great reputation for providing full service at lower fares and we're excited to now be able to offer travellers from London, East England and beyond, even more choice to an exciting range of long haul destinations."

The new destinations include Cancun, Miami, Mombasa, Bangkok and Male.

Stansted Airport is located about 30 miles north-east of London and is the UK's third busiest airport after Heathrow and Gatwick.

It saw some 24 million passengers in the 12 months to October 2007.

A plan to extend the airport, which will see an extra runway and terminal open in 2015 was recently approved by government officials.

Low fares airline Ryanair will be operating flights from London Stansted Airport and London Gatwick Airport as normal following the cancellation of proposed strike action.

UK Trade Union leaders have called off their threatened strike action, scheduled for Monday August 25th and Friday August 29th, a move welcomed by Ryanair.

Ryanair had last week reassured its customers that their travel plans would be unaffected by the baggage handling and check in strikes thanks to web check-in and carry on luggage services.

"We were never going to allow our passengers to have their travel plans impacted by strikes. We confirm that all Ryanair services to and from [London Stansted Airport] and [London Gatwick Airport] will operate as normal next week," Stephen McNamara of Ryanair said.

BAA noted that Airfield Services however still intends to carry out industrial action on Monday August 25th at London Stansted Airport.

Airfield Services provide the airport with some of its baggage services and contingency plans put in place will reportedly keep disruption to a minimum.

Ryanair has dismissed speculation that it is planning to buy London Stansted Airport.

Michael O'Leary, the chief executive of the carrier, said that rumours of a £2 billion bid for its biggest hub are not true.

At a news conference in Dublin, he stated: "We have no interest in acquiring airports, we will not be acquiring Stansted airport.

"But clearly we will be happy to work with anybody who buys it."

He clarified this by saying that Ryanair would advise the new owner how to build a second terminal for just £200 million and a runway for £150 million.

Ryanair once offered to build a second terminal at Stansted but was turned down by airport company BAA.

Over the past three months, Ryanair has carried more than 15 million passengers. In fact, the number of travellers flying with the budget carrier grew by 19 per cent in July when compared with the previous year.

The punctuality of scheduled flights at London's airports appears to be getting worse in some areas and better in others, according to new figures from the Civil Aviation Authority.

Between January and March 2008, only 56 per cent of flights at London Heathrow Airport were on time, compared with 65 per cent in the same period of 2007.

At London City Airport, 58 per cent of flights were on time, down 12 percentage points.

In contrast, London Luton, London Gatwick and London Stansted improved their punctuality performance in the first three months of the year when compared with 2007.

At Luton, for example, on-time performance increased by five percentage points to 76 per cent.

The Civil Aviation Authority is a public corporation, established in 1972 as an independent specialist aviation regulator.

Last month, Giovanni Bisignani, the head of the International Air Transport Association, criticised the regulator for authorising an 86 per cent hike in charges that airlines will have to pay to use Heathrow.

Budget airline Ryanair has announced plans to launch a new service from London Stansted Airport to Rimini this summer.

The flights to the Adriatic holiday resort will operate three times a week during June, July and August, with fares starting from £15 one way.

Rimini is one of the oldest cities in Italy and is packed with historic landmarks, including a Roman amphitheatre and the gothic Tempio Malatestiano. However, in recent years the area has become better known for its beaches and nightlife.

Ryanair also plans to operate a route between London Stansted Airport and the French town of Beziers during the summer months, with seats available from £26 one way.

Beziers is in the middle of the Languedoc region's winemaking industry and is also ideally located for holidaymakers who want to take in the sights of France's Mediterranean coastline.

Last week, FlyLAL announced plans to begin flying between London Stansted Airport and the Amber Coast resort of Palanga.

FlyLAL has announced plans to open a route between London Stansted Airport and the Amber Coast resort of Palanga next month.

The Lithuanian national carrier's new service will operate on Thursdays and Saturdays from May 17th.

Indre Trakimaite of the Lithuanian National Tourist Office said the flights would give Britons the chance to discover a new holiday destination.

"Direct flights from London to Palanga offer a splendid opportunity to visit the beautiful Curonian Spit, the seaport of Klaipeda and the popular summer resort Palanga and its Amber Museum," claimed Ms Trakimaite.

FlyLAL has also confirmed that from May 16th it will operate four flights a week from London Stansted Airport to Vilnius. The route is in addition to the one it runs between London Gatwick Airport and the Lithuanian capital.

A number of other new services from Stansted are set to commence in May, including Eos flights to Dubai and Newark, New Jersey.

Bargain hunters were today advised that January is a great time to head to the US for a shopping trip.

The lower cost of goods, particularly designer clothes, has long attracted Britons to cross the Atlantic in search of good deals.

However, fluctuations in the currency market have made the prospect of shopping in the US even more attractive in recent weeks and in November the pound climbed to a 26-year high against the dollar.

The pound has since slipped from $2.10 to $1.98, but a spokesman for London Stansted Airport insisted: "January is a great time to visit the US - especially if you're looking to pick up a bargain in the post-Christmas sales."

Passengers heading across the Atlantic can reach four major US cities - New York, Washington, Las Vegas and Los Angeles - direct from London Stansted Airport, via services operated by American Airlines, MaxJet and Eos.

London Stansted Airport is becoming increasingly popular with transatlantic travellers, according to its owner.

MaxJet and Eos currently operate business class-only services from London Stansted Airport to New York JFK, while American Airlines recently started a daily service on the same route that also caters for holidaymakers.

American Airlines plan to increase their service to New York to two flights a day in April 2008 and MaxJet has already launched flights from London Stansted Airport to Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

A spokesman for BAA, owner and operator of London Stansted Airport, said that all three airlines have reported "significantly increased bookings" in recent times.

He added that the decision of American Airlines to increase the frequency of its flights to New York was a particularly significant development for London Stansted Airport.

"Business and leisure passengers will have direct access to the airline's expansive route network from their JFK hub, which connects directly to nearly 200 destinations across the Americas and Caribbean," the spokesman explained.

BAA is currently awaiting the outcome of a public inquiry into its expansion plans for London Stansted Airport, which, if approved, would see passenger numbers increase to 35 million a year.

Air Berlin today launched a new direct service between London Stansted Airport and the Bavarian city of Munich.

It will operate twice a day from Monday to Friday, with one flight on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are available from £24 one way including taxes.

Nick Barton, business development and planning director at London Stansted Airport, is confident the new route will prove to be a hit with leisure travellers.

He added that it could also become popular with business fliers, as Munich is "regarded as the economic centre of southern Germany and home to the European and German headquarters of many worldwide companies, including Microsoft, BMW and Siemens".

Earlier this year Air Berlin shared the Best Short Haul Business Airline honour with British Airways at the Business Travel Awards.

Judges praised its commitment to offering a business service for low-cost prices and the way it had developed its UK network.

Flights to America from London are to be increased with immediate effect due to customer demand, it has been announced.

From October 20th, passengers flying from London Gatwick will be able to choose from an increased array of flights to JFK airport offered by operator MAXjet. This will be increased over the following months to a ten times weekly service.

New flights to Los Angeles and Las Vegas will also be introduced within coming months as part of the overhaul.

Bill Stockbridge, the airline's chief executive, said that the decision to increase the number of flights was due to customer demand.

"MAXjet customers have made it clear to us that they need more frequent service between London Stansted and Los Angeles, Las Vegas and New York," he commented.

He added that providing customers with the routes they demand is the key to the airline's success.

It was recently announced that the Manchester to Stansted service will see an increased number of flights when Eastern Airways takes over from current operator Air Berlin.